NIACC hires DeVries as associate head women's soccer coach

MASON CITY - Hanna DeVries, who played at Waldorf University and is the head girls coach at Garner-Hayfield-Ventura, has been named the associate head coach of the NIACC women's soccer program.

Leo Driscoll will be the NIACC men's and women's head coach for the 2018 season. In the 2017 season, Driscoll was NIACC's head women's coach and also served as an assistant on the men's side.

DeVries said she's excited to join the NIACC soccer program.

"I have always been passionate about soccer," DeVries said, "and I knew that I wanted to keep it in my life, even after graduating college.

"Coaching at GHV made me realize that I wanted to make it into a career. I saw the posting at NIACC and I knew that it being a new program that it would be a great opportunity for me to grow as a coach and be able to stay close to my home."

Besides being the women's associate head coach, DeVries will assist on the men's side as the goalkeepers coach. Former NIACC player Michael Donovan will also assist both the men's and women's teams.

"Both are going to h ave very important roles," Driscoll said of DeVries and Donovan. "They both bring a multitude of experience and different personalities and it is really exciting to be able to focus all of our knowledge toward a common goal."

DeVries, who is in her first season as the head girls coach at GHV, said coaching the Cardinals has helped her in several ways.

"Coaching at GHV has helped me experience so many things that come with the field," she said. "It has helped me learn what does and doesn't work with pushing athletes.

"I plan to continue coaching at GHV as long as I am able."

DeVries also said that her collegiate soccer experience at Waldorf will help her in her new position at NIACC.

"I learned that growth is the strongest thing in a team," she said, "and how winning isn't the most important thing.

"I grew a lot as a player at Waldorf and I hope to continue my growth in the game of soccer as a coach at NIACC."

DeVries said one her strengths right now is coaching on the defensive side of the ball as she was a goalkeeper at Waldorf.

"Some strengths of mine are coaching defensive shape and becoming more aggressive on the field," she said. "I also feel that I can easily relate with my players on their level because I was once just like them and I keep that in mind to show my players how anyone can succeed."

The NIACC women's team, which fielded a team last fall for the first time since 2004, was 4-9 overall in 2017 and 1-7 in the ICCAC.

The Lady Trojans are scheduled to open the 2018 regular season on Aug. 22 at the Morningside College Junior Varsity.